mahon



(No Model.)

A. W. MAHON.

, TUBAGOO PRESS.

No. 277,912, y Patented May 22,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AURELlUS W. MAHON, OF RICHMOND, lVIRGINIA, ASSlGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHAS. D. 85, HERBERT C. LARUS, OF SAME PLAGE.

TOBACCO-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,912, dated May 22,1888,

.Application filed February 8, ISES. (No model.) ,i

To all whom zt may concern Be it known that I, AURELIUS W. MAHON, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of the cityof Richmond and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Pressing or Forming. Lumps, Nips', or Plugs of Tobacco, of which the following is a specification. t.

My invention relates to machines for forming or pressing lumps, nips, or plugs of tobacco from the loose llers, preparatory to wrapping and repressing them; and myobjects are to provide a machine which may be easily adjusted to any sized lump, that may be easily, quickly, and certainly opened to remove the pressed lump and closed quickly and securely upon the loose tobacco to he lpressed, a ma chine that will do its work quickly and accurately, pressing each lump to a uniform size and density, and that is easily operated by workmen possessing little mechanical skill. I accomplish these important results by means of the mechanism hereinafter described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 an end elevation, of my machine.

Similar letters refer to like parts in the sevveral views.

A A show an iron frame supporting the working parts, and upon which the steam-cylinder B is vfixed. This cylinder contains a piston, M, the rod 7c of which passes through the stuflingboxes b b of both heads, the machine being double-acting, having, pressing-boxes at each end. Upon each end of the piston-rod 7c are tixed the rams K K, to which are lixed the removable blocks or followers H H, which are cover Gr. The sides F F slide in grooves planed is a detent working into the catch g.

by the crank N, upon whose shaft-are the eecentrics n n, having their rods 1J p connected to the studs r r, which are fixed in slots in the sides F F by nuts, as showp. By this means a half-turn of the crank N opens or closes the two sides F F simultaneously, and `holds them iirmly in either position. When shorter or longer lumps are to be made, the studs r1' are adjusted in the slots of the sides F F to correspond with the length of the lumps. sides F F, atf, are a series of holes corresponding to the different widths oflumps to be made, and in any one of which thecover G is pivoted to suit the width of the lump when adjusting thema'chine. held down by the catch-lever g, upon which The catch g is adjusted up or down bya holt fitted to a slot in it and passing through the back plate, U.

Upon the pistonV M are the studs x fr, which arrest the motion of the piston at either end` always in exactly the same place.

Upon the piston-rod k are the adjusting-nuts In the 6o The cover G is w fw, by means of which the rams K K are adjusted upon it, thus fixing the exact thickness of the lump.

The supply of steam to the cylinder B is regulated by the valve D, which, together with the steam-passages, is identical with those'of 8o an ordinary .slide-valve7 steam Jengine, although the same result may be attained by the common four-way'cock7 without materially altering my invention. The valve stem m passes through the stuffing-boxes c o at each end of the steam'chest E, and is pivoted at each end to the valve-levers d d. y is the steam-pipe leading from the boiler, and z is the exhaust-pipe.

The operation of` my machine is as follows, go

viz: The piston, valves, rams, Ste., standing in the position shown in the drawings, the operator at the right-hand end of the machine throws up the pivoted coverG and ills the space C between the sides F F, follower H, and 9 5A same direction. This admits'steam to the left roo end of the cylinder B, driving the piston to the right, and forcing the follower H upon the loose tobacco and pressing it to the required thickness. The valve-lever d remaining in this position, the pressure of steam holds the tobacco tightly until it sets,7 while the operator at the left ot' the machine is filling his pressing-box. The valve-lever d being now thrown back to its position shown in the drawings, the lump at the left of the machine is pressed, while that at the right is release-d, and

the operator at this end ot thc machine unfastens the catch-lever g and raises the cover G. He then, by a half-turn ot' the crank N,

opens the sides F F, which completely releasesY the recently-pressed lump, and it is removed. The crank N is then turned back, the sides F F thereby closed, more tobacco introduced, the cover G closed and fastened, and the operation repeated. At the same time the operator at the left of the machine has pressed a lump every time the operator at the right has released and removed one, and vice versa.

Having thus described my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- 1..ln a tobacco-pressing machine, the combination of the valve-levers d d, valve-rod m, and valve D, constructed and arranged substantially as described, and for the purpose of alternately moving the followers H H and rams K K.

2. In a tobacco-pressing machine, the pressing-boxes C C, When constructed with the sliding sides F F and pivoted cover Gr, constructed and arranged substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth:

3. In a tobacco-pressing machine, the crank N, eccentrics u n, rods 19p, and studs rr, when used for opening and closing the sides FF, substantially as described.

4. In a tobacco-pressing machine, the combination ot' the steam-cylinder B, steam-chest E, valve D, valve-stein m, and valve-lever d, with the pressing-boxes C C, rains K K, and followers 'H H, all constructed and arranged substantially' as described, and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a tobacco-pressing machine, the combination of the cranks N N, eccentrics mi, rods 19 19, and studs r r, with the pressing-boxes C G, constructed with sliding sides F F, pivoted cover G, catch-lever g, and catch g', all arranged and operating as described, and for the purposes set forth.

AURELIUS W. MAHON.

Witnesses WM. T. REED, BENJAMIN J. HOMES. 

